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Burke County proposes single‑source foster‑care provider to speed placements and services
Summary
County managers proposed a 'vertical integration' model that would consolidate recruitment, licensing and clinical services under a single provider and asked the board whether to draft an RFQ; no formal action was taken and staff will return to request direction at the Dec. 15 meeting.
Burke County officials on Dec. 1 outlined a proposal to contract with a single, vertically integrated foster‑care provider to centralize recruitment, licensing, placement and clinical services and to increase the number of licensed foster homes in the county.
County Manager Manning told the Board of Commissioners the briefing was informational and not a vote. "We're calling it vertical integration," he said, describing a provider that would handle marketing, recruitment, licensing, training and clinical assessments so the county can respond rapidly when children enter care. Manning said staff will draft a request for qualifications (RFQ) if the board directs them to do so.
The manager cited county data showing Burke County has higher intake and a larger population of children in care than state and federal averages. He said factors driving intake include substance use and overdoses and presented a heat map that overlays overdose locations with child‑welfare intakes, arguing there is a local correlation. Manning also noted current averages for days in care exceed industry best practices and that longer time to permanency increases the county census of children in care.
County staff described existing fragmentation: Burke County has a single FTE handling licensing and recruitment, and many clinical services are provided by external vendors outside the county—creating access and transportation barriers. The proposed model aims to create economies of scale, expedite clinical assessments and reduce time to permanency while remaining budget neutral; some clinical services could bill Medicaid under existing LME‑MCO frameworks, the manager said.
Staff outlined the RFQ approach and candidate scope: prequalifying providers who can rapidly respond to 24/7 referrals, conduct required clinical and behavioral assessments, support parental capacity evaluations and deliver localized marketing and training. Manning said the goal is to build a "one‑stop shop" for foster families and to increase licensed parents in Burke County.
The item was presented as a discussion and next‑step decision point. Manning asked the board if staff should proceed with drafting an RFQ; no vote was taken at the pre‑agenda and the item will return for potential action at the Dec. 15 regular meeting.
Quotes in this article come from the county manager's presentation, as recorded at the Dec. 1 pre‑agenda meeting.
